Two terrorists down... 48 to go: Despite the arrests of Tunda and Jundal, India's 50 most wanted criminals are proving an elusive bunch

While India is patting itself on the back for capturing Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) bomb-maker Abdul Karim Tunda, the real most wanted continue to evade our security agencies. In 2011, India handed over to Pakistan a list of the 50 most wanted terrorists who have been evading the Indian agencies and have been provided with a safe haven in Pakistan.

After the arrest of Tunda, who had been on the run since 1996 and was working for the LeT, the spotlight is back on some of the big fish enjoying Pakistani hospitality.

The list was handed over during the home secretary-level talks in the hope that Pakistan would act. Since then India has managed to get its hands on only two key figures. While Tunda has been arrested now, last year India caught hold of Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, who was also on the list. Other than Tunda and Jundal, India has failed to get access to any of the big names tracked without success for years by Indian agencies.

Tunda's revelations have once again endorsed India's claims that terror activities in India are being planned by the ISI and LeT. After the 26\11 attack, India handed over dossiers to Pakistan with names and evidence against terror operatives based in Pakistan but little has been done. Instead, Pakistan described it as mere "literature".

Some of the prominent names in that list include Dawood Ibrahim and his associates, LeT and Jamat ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the LeT commander who was part of the 26\11 conspiracy. The Bhatkal brothers, founders of the Indian Mujahideen, are also working from Pakistan.

Intelligence officials say there has been some success with the arrests of Tunda and deportation of Jundal and IM operative Fasih Mohammed from Saudi Arabia last year. Sources said intelligence operations are being launched to get to some other key players. "We need to find a way to nab them. Pakistan has been denying their presence for years and will continue to do so. We are carrying out secret operations and have some of them on the radar," an intelligence official said.

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Sources say Tunda has inside information about the entire terror syndicate in Pakistan. His close links with the LeT, ISI, and even D-Company, can provide explosive information for future operations.

Intelligence agencies are hopeful of netting some more big fish. Their next target is the IM leadership in Pakistan. There have been a series of arrests of IM operatives across India in the last five years but most have been foot soldiers. If the top hierarchy in Pakistan can be targeted the entire group can fall apart.

Intelligence agencies believe the LeT and ISI have created the IM to portray it as home-grown terror in India but actually control the group's activities through operatives like the Bhatkal brothers and Amir Reza Khan.

Salahuddin warns Sharif against 'abandoning' Kashmir issue

By Qawar Abbas in Rawalpindi

Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin has said no government can survive in Pakistan if it puts Kashmir on the back-burner

"No government will survive if it abandons the Kashmir cause. Sharif needs to understand this," Salahuddin, popularly known as 'Pir Sahab', said.

He criticised Sharif for expressing his desire to pick up the thread from former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's historic bus ride to Lahore in 1999, and vowing to establish friendly ties with India.

"The Pakistani leadership has always put the Kashmir issue on the backburner. This is not acceptable," Salahuddin said.

He added that the Pakistani leadership's bid to befriend India by compromising on Kashmir would do irreparable damage to Kashmiris' confidence.

"In case Pakistan feels it can't continue to help us militarily, it must continue to help us in diplomatic and political forums," he said.

Salahuddin has said he still remembers how Musharraf adopted an "apologetic approach" and came up with a policy of retreat "inflicting irreversible damage to our movement". India felt relaxed after his retreat, he alleged, and started infiltrating into Balochistan. He said the withdrawal of the US from the region in 2014 would have a positive impact on the Kashmir cause as the Afghan Taliban would definitely join the Kashmiri militants to fight the Indian Army.

"The US troops' withdrawal will send an invigorating message to Kashmiri Mujahideen. Though the US and NATO are using the latest war technology and have massive budgets to fight terrorism, they couldn't win yet. They are running away. Why could the same not happen in Kashmir?" he asked.